Cooling and oxidation apparatus



|. HECHENBLEIKNER:

COOLING AND OXlDATlON APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 7, m9

'1 ,3 1 1,395. Patented JulyQQ, 19m.

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EBLEIKNER, a citizen of'the United States, re-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LmING-ENUIN HECHENBLEIKNER, CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR TO CHEMICAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA, A.

i CORPORATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

'1 COOLING AND oxrna'rxorr APPARATUS.

siding at Charlotte, in the county ofMeck- (3 lenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improve- A The ments in Cooling and-Oxidation Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

the manufacture of nitric acid, paric'ularly from gases containing nitrogen xi'ds resulting from the treatment of air by ec tric are or nitrogen oxids obtained from other sources it is necessary or desirablethat the gases be cooled' to reduce their temperature and also oxidized to convert t(heOni)tric oxid (NO) to nitrogenperoxid object of the present invention is to provide an improved'apparatus for cooling and oxidizing these or other gases in nitric acid processes; but the invention is not hmited to this use, since the apparatus may be utilized wherever it may be found suitable.

The cooling of large bodies of gases incident to the processes referred to is a matter of considerable difiiculty, and the present @apparatus has been designed to provide a rapid and efficient means for the desired purpose.

It embodies in one of its forms an elongated chamber or passage through .which the gases flow and depending into this chamber .are a multiplicity of :what I call cooler tubes through which water is .caused to flow so that the gasesin passing through the" conduit flow around or between the' tubes, thereby exposing'a large surface for the heat exchange action. Each tube contains within the same a filler or inner section which displaces most of the capacity of the tube and causes the water to fiow in a film or relatively thin sheet in contact with the inner surface ofthe wall of the tube. T he tubes are of the spur type, that is, they are closed at the lower end, water being supplied through a central pipe to the bottom of the tube and rising as it is heated to the top where it overflows into troughs.

In connection with thecoohng chambers equipped with the tubes referred to, I also.

rovide oxidation chambers where oxidation 1s efiected after the first cooling, and then a final cooling chamber for reducing the crease of temperature incident to the oxidiz- Specification of Letters Patent.

pngiaa gatpn aaon filed October 17, 1918, Serial No. 258,626. Dividedand this application filed April 7,

1 i 1919. Serial No. 287,983. a.

ing action. Means are also provided forcollecting such condensate as is formed in the chamber.

In the accompanying draWings, Figure 1 is a plan view oft-he plant or apparatus, the

water supply system of piping being omit ted for the sake of clearness. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 22 of Fig. 1, through one of the cooling chambers, the water supply pipes being included. Fig. 3 1s a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 1s a section on the line 44- of the same.

'Fig. 5 is a. longitudinal'section of one of cated at 1, the second at 2, the first oxidation chamber at O the second at O and the third or final cooling chamber at 3. These chambers havethe general form of arched masonry passages ortunnels preferably made of acidproof masonry with a layer of tile i at the bottom, dralning toward one end of the chambers to an acid drain 5 leading to a pipe 6 for carrying off the condensate.

This structure is strengthened or tied together by cross tie rods 7 and longitudinal tie rods 8 connecting outer metal beams 9 at the ends and sides of the structure.

I is the inlet pipe tothe first chamber and E is the outlet pipe for the oooled gases.

' here 3 may be stoneware. A tube is shown The chambers are separated by longitudinal partitions 10 through which are openingsv '11, 12,13 and 14 connecting the chambers I able water supply.

in detail in Fig. '5. It comprises an outer or spur tube 20, closed at the bottom and open at the top. WVithin this outer tube is a metal drum or filler Consisting of a cylinder 21 closed at the top and bottom, and provided at itslower end with a projecting foot 22 which rests upon the bottom of the outer tube and supports the filler therein. The filler is also spaced from the outer tube by spacers 23 thereby forming an annular space of small area through which the water flows upwardly in contact with the inner surface of the outer tube. 'Water is supplied to the bottom of each tube by a central pipe 24 which extends lengthwise through the drum, and this pipe has a funnel at the top by which it is supplied from any suit- This supply conveniently consists of a system of piping indicated in Fig. 2 and comprising a main 26 with branches 27 leading to the respective tubes. Obviously any convenient system of water supply may be used. It is to be noted, however, there is a separate water supply to each tube and a separate overflow from each tube and the water does not pass through one tube after-passing through another. The water from the cooler tubes overflows at lips 20 into a plurality of longitudinal troughs 28 which are mounted upon the top of the chambers and drain to a cross-trough 29 at the end which discharges the waste. The troughs 28 may be made of aluminum and they extend beside the upper ends of the cooler tubes which are arranged in parallel rows throughout practically the Whole. length and breadth of the cooling chambers, each conveniently resting upon a block or piece of brick 30 on the floor of the chambers.

The gases to becooled are conducted back and forth through the chambers as above described and in passing through the cooling chambers they flow between or in contact with the depending cooler tubes in the cool ing chambers, these cooler tubes being suppiled with a flow of water in the manner indicated. After a reduction of temperature in tl. ".OOllDg chambers 1 and 2, the gases pass rough the oxidation chambers O and 0 where they are oxidized by the entrained air or by the air admitted through openings in the ends of the chambers if necessary. The oxidation is attended with some rise in temperature which is again reduced by the passage of the gases through the final cooling chamber 3. The cooler tubes are capable of being individually placed or removed through the holes in the top of the chambers. for observation in the ends of the chambers. The cooler tubes are particularly advantageous with respect to the exposure of a large surfacefor heat exchange and the use of a comparatively small amount of water because of the film arrangement, and also with respect to the convenience of inserting and removing the same without disconnecting or taking down masonry constructions,

This application is a division of my pending application No. 258626 filedOct. 17, 1918 in which the cooler tubes referred to are claimed.

I claim:

A cooling and oxidation apparatus for gases, comprising'a series of horizontal coolin-g and oxidation chambers located side by side and communicating with each other,

31 indicates windows means for collecting the condensate in the chambers, water-cooled tubes depending into the cooling chambers, through the roofs thereof, and overflow troughs extending along above the said roofs and arranged to receive the overflow from the tubes.

In testimony whereof,I affix my signature 

